“There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

~ Nelson Mandela

Recently, the world said goodbye to an amazing man. A man who shone the light on darkness. A man who helped unite a country teetering on the brink of racial violence by uniting white and black, oppressor and oppressed. A man who created a movement through the Divine force of love.

Nelson Mandela was a man who shifted consciousness through the overwhelming power of purpose in his heart.

He was a man who lived from the very essence of his being.

He was a passionate freedom fighter whose legacy included imprisonment and isolation for 27 long years. Confined for reasons that threatened a dysfunctional system of belief that was destroying the souls of a desperate population in a country divided by the mere color of its skin.

Nelson Mandela was “swept under the rug” for speaking out against horrific injustice. For acting on the deeper calling within—that inner Truth that guided him to do what was right.

Mandela knew he was serving a higher purpose in jail and held nothing against his oppressors. In fact, when asked how he felt about the captors who imprisoned him, he said, “If I hold resentment toward these people, I might as well still be in prison.”

In the culture of today—one infected with the black plague of judgment, these words truly stand out. Why? Because this is who we are at our core. Mandela’s words remind each and every one of us of our pure inner essence—our spirit.

Nelson Mandela will forever be a shining light in the world. Just like Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks. We all know of the massive global change that each of these individuals created simply by living authentically from the core Truth within.

And here’s the kicker. Not one of these people were any different from us. The only thing separating their legacy from ours was the depth of connection they had to their spirits. Their purpose. Their calling. They lived with passion, purpose, joy, compassion, courage, authenticity and faith as their guides.

They lived from the very essence of their being. The one defining difference that each of us can shift with the flick of a switch in consciousness.

This is the power of choice.

You see, we can choose to disengage from life and become a victim of the social ills of the world and the stories in our heads, or we can change the stories by acting on the deeper calling in our hearts to better the world through the authentic expression of our soul’s purpose.

Every single one of us shares the same essential qualities within because this is who we are at the very core of our being.

We live in a time where humanity may easily be obliterated by greed and selfishness. We’re teetering on the precipice and Mother Earth isn’t happy. But despite this, I still firmly believe in the power of the human heart.

When we plug in to our own essence—our purpose—we thrust the doors of our hearts wide open to release our true selves from the limiting shackles of fear.

And the world is desperate for the authentic expression of our spirits. With free-will as the driver, we can be more, do more, love more, live more and give more.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone and not anywhere before that starting point. Nobody is served by playing small—ourselves included. We all have our own unique life purpose that unites us in love and joy.

Not all of us are destined for the recognition of Nelson Mandela or Ghandi but that should never stop any of us from following our calling. In the wise words of Ghandi, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

So, in loving memory of Nelson Mandela, let’s take in the love, acceptance and courage that he shone so boldly out into the world. Let’s absorb that into the core of our being and allow that Divine strength to open the floodgates of our collective hearts and then, in the spirit of Mandela, let’s act on that Divine strength.

Inspiration without action will never change the world.

In fact, inspiration without action just keeps us trapped in the same selfish paradigm that is destroying the planet. We weren’t born to live in fear and pain—emotional, physical, or spiritual.

We were born to make a difference. Period.

It’s time to connect to our life purpose and do what we were born to do to shift us out of the current paradigm of selfishness so that we can catapult as a conscious collective into the emerging paradigm of selflessness.

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About Deb Ozarko

Deb Ozarko is a status-quo crusher, compassionate vegan, wannabe dancer, spiritual activist, Ironman triathlon finisher, warrior of truth, goddess of compassion, passionate lover of life and someone who lives life completely out loud. As an active advocate for conscious vibrant living, animals, women and Mother Earth, sharing simple acts of unconditional kindness and living the most vibrant heart-led life possible is her unwavering modus operandi. She inspires the masses to shift the paradigm from head to heart by co-creating a more passionate, compassionate, loving and interconnected world. She’s the host of the popular Unplug Podcast on iTunes and she’s also created a completely inclusive online community of paradigm shifting co-creatives at her website.